Safety device for mine-cages, lifts, and the like



W. GRIFFIN. SAFETY DEVICE FOR MINE CAGES,'LIFTS, AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION man MAY2.1919.

1,389,867. PatentedSept. 6,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. GRIFFIN. SAFETY DEVICE FOR MINE CAGES, LIFTS, AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1919.

. Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

3 EEEEEEEEEEEE 2.

W. GRIFFIN. SAFETY DEVICE FOR MINE CA-GES, LIFTS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZ, 1919.

Patented Sept. 6,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENT oFFlcr..

WILLIAM GRIFFIN, OF WILNECOTE7 'NEAR TAMWORTH, EGLAN D.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR MINE-CAGES, LIFTS, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

Application mea my 2. 1919. serial No. 294.276.V

To all who/riz it may concern.'

4Be it known that I, WILLIAM GRIFFIN, subject'ot-the King of Great Britain, residing at 27 Parson street, Wilnecote, near Tamworth, England, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Mine-Cages, Lifts, and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises improvements in saftey devices for mine cages, lifts7 and the like of the type in which wedge gripping devices are actuated by levers or eccentrics to act upon the guides and has for its object to provide animproved arrangement which can be mounted on the top ot the cage, so that itis applicable to existing cages; and further has its operating means disposed away from the outer sides of the cage so as to be easy of, access -tor attention, and so as to be clear of the walls or sides of the shaft in which the cagetravels.

Characteristic'V features of the invention are-(1) the operation of the wedges by eccentrics which are not connected to the wedges so that the movement of the block is not limited and theretraction of the block is eected independently of the lifting or haulingmeans for the cage to which the eecentrics are connected and by which they are normally held in an ino erative position; (2) the arrangement vof the eccentrics and the lever to operate same so that they work in planes perpendicular to the side of the cage which is toward the guide on which the cage travels.

-The advantage of this construction is in addition to its being applicable to existing or new cages, that the wedge blocks will grip the guides even if the latter are worn and considerably reduced in thickness. Another advantage is that the grip is not released by pulling the blocks downward, but by the lifting ot the cage which prevents a sudden fall it there is a failure in the lifting means directly after the pull has come upon the lifting cable.

vTo enable the invention to be understood andeasily carried into practice I have appendedV hereunto three sheets of explanatory drawings. j j

Figure 1 is a sectional viewY of an embodiment of the inventionl v Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof on line of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 but showing .a modication. j

Fig. 4 is aview looking from the left at FiO. 3. I f

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate aconstructional detail.

I arrange the safety devices upon the top of the cage or the like and the number of devices employed may vary with the number of guides on which the cage or the like works. For example with two guides I provide two gripping devices, but with four guides I may use only two oppositely disposed devices, or may employ four as desired.

.As shown at Fig. 1 each device is provided with a stout attachment plate a' for bolting on to the top of the cage, and upstanding cheeks or side plates b project from this plate ina position which will be adjacent to one of the guides. The side margins of thel plates which are toward the guides may be vertical but the rear margin near the top of the plates may taper practically to apoint so that at this part the rear edge is inclined at a small angle say for example at 20 to 30 to the' vertical and at these inclined edges is a stout inclined cross piece or thrust plate c the inner face of whichis toward the guide and forms the inclined plate on which the wedge for gripping the guide is to work. The attachment plate a upstanding portions b and inclined cross member c may Jform one single casting suitably webbed and strengthened where required. At the upper part a pocket is thus formed lin which the loose wedge l works and below same is a housing or space for an eccentric roller, or eccentric e on an varm f and a fulcrum f7 Jfor a lever or armto rock the eccentric to litt the wedge when required.

Suitable guiding projections and grooves between the wedge d and its housing may be provided while at the bottom portion the wedge is recessed as at L to straddle over the eccentric and provide a plane for the latter to-act upon. The wedge is normally retracted by the lifting of the cage and the attachment plate and like parts so' that gravity helps the block on to its eccentric, but a spring or springs such as j may be used to assist this action and keep the block in position. f

The eccentric and operating lever may be mounted by trunnions g working in recesses inthe side plates of the device, or by-an Vaxle secured in holes or bearings in the said side plates. The lever f may be prolonged and operated direct but in some cages it is necessary to provide l,space for parts of the cage gear and therefore the lever f is shown asV connected bypa link 7c to a lever Zinounted for example onthe plate c. v To the lever Z a spring or springs m may be connected, which may be assisted Vby weights if desired, tend-y ing to draw the lever down andV throw the wedge into action, but normally the end of the lever is held up'by beingattach'ed by a bridle chain or the like to the ring or the like by which the cage is'connected tothe Y held to the' guides beforeritcan' acquire-any momentum due to gravity. .It will bel understood that the faces of the wedges will be adapted'in shape for the particular guides on which they are to act, also they are ro'ughenedl or serrated for the bettergrippingofthe guides. In. the case of cable gi'iide` ways Ivprovide for bolting or otherwise attaching to the device ashaped abutment plane a for travelingat-the back of the guide so'that the cable is backed by a rigid 'support against which the wedge clamps the cable when the device comesinto operation.

To relieve theplates c of some ofthe v thrust of thewedge d I may groove the works upon the face of the 'guidevwhich is towardV the cage the side plates b Vprefer-V sides of the wedge and provide theside plates I) with stout ribs 0 (Fig. 2) inV en-A gagement therewith. i Y The device may be applied on similar lines to guides of timber and if the wedge ably have projecting lugs for riding on the sides of the guide. V n

I prefer in the caseof timber guides to arrange the wedges to work on the sides tov avoid the'sudden load bursting out of the guide. f

Figs. 3 and 4 show two wedges d arranged inside eXtensions or pockets havingV inclines or thrust plates j) with two eccentrics e o'n a'single 'cross Ashaft Tg and in the center'of thisshaft g'the lever or arm f is" secured and connected by a link 7c with the lever Z..

The gripping face VAor faces'of the 'wedge or wedges should be extensive to provide substantial bearingVsuifacesbetween it and the guide when they come in contact and :inthe case Jofa'woodtrgiiide the face of the wedge is provided With ratchet like teeth or other gripping means. I prefer teeth` of inverted V form, as shown Vat Fig. 3, eX- tending right across' the face of the wedge So as to avoid .splinteringof the face of the guide outwardly f which would renderv the sliding ofjthe. cage onthe guide diiiicult after th'esafety device hadbe'enfinuse. In

the .case of cable Hguides I prefer to secure:

on"the.attachinent plate a a guidenboth halves` of which rarebodilyfremovable from, or 'attachable to,xthe lugs .5' in thepla'te Ta as shown F ig'sp and 'onSheet 3 of the drawings.4 i Q l. AA safety vdeviceV for-mine cages having in combination, anatt'achment plate for securingon the top ofthe 'cage,'a'pock`et.part

rigid vwith said plate and sliding ion'tlie cage guidefas vthe 03g@ travels, anfinclined wall to lsaid pocket, a loose'wedge in 'said pocket l'with afface toward-fthe guide, an eccentric, belowA said riifedge for voperating same, Vindependeiitmeansgforg: withdrawing said wedge, and means connected'to thesupporting Y meansV for they Y cagefor operating said' eccentric, all ofsaid parts beingcarried on said attachment' plate.

a 2. A safety device forV mine cages having in combination an attachment plate for vsecuring lon Vthecage`,'saidl Vplate carrying a pocket part traveling onthe 'cage guide, an inclinedwall to said pocket', a'loose wedge insaid pocket with a face toward the guide, an eccentric below'said'wedge, a lever 'on `said pocket part,'a spring for depressing saidlev'er, af'link between i said Vlever and an arm actuating said eccentric, and Vmeans connecting 'said lever tothe means for sup-A porting the cage and thus normally holding lip-"the lever against the action of said spring.V i Y Y A safety device for mine' cages, comprising an attachmentplate'carryingaipart for moving ontlie cage guide, a loose wedge housed in saidpart, and eccentric means for actuating said wedge, said Veccentric means working in planesV perpendicular lto the side ofthe cage'which is toward the cage guide.

4., A safety device for mine cages comprising in combination an. attachment plate for Vse'curingto the "top of the cage, a parton said plateembracinfg the cage guide, and having inclined slots between said "partffan'd the "sides 0f "the^"guide, loose vifv'edge lblocks in said slots, an eccentric beloweach'fblock,

los

and means connected to said eccentrics and to the means for supporting the cage for operating said eccentrcs.

5. A safety device for mine cages comprising in combination an attachment plate for securing to the top of the cage, a part on said plate embraclng the cage guide, and having inclined slots between said part and the sides of the guide, loose wedge blocks in Said slots, an eccentric below each block, a lever on said part embracing the guide, means for depressing said lever and a connection from the lever to said ecoentrics, and from said lever to the means for supporting the cage.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

WILLIAM GRIFFIN. 

